Microsoft seeks legal protections for data stored in cloud

Patrick Thibodeau |
Jan. 22, 2010

General Counsel says today's federal data protection laws were written at dawn of PC age

Users of cloud services will need to know what is happening to their data, Nelson added. Cloud providers will not only have to ensure data is safe, but "we are going to have to show them why it is safe," he said, and that will mean having technology that can show customers when their data is accessed.

Jonathan Rochelle, a group product manager at Google, said there is nothing special about the privacy and security risks in the cloud, but those risk are "more transparent, more collective and more open. "

Users can keep their data on their PCs, but "while it feels more comfortable, the same way the money under your mattress feels more comfortable, it may not be the best way to manage your information,' said Rochelle.